Pipe wrench with linked gripping means



Nov. 27, 1951 A. B. WILSON PIPE WRENCH WITH LINKED GRIPPING MEANS 2SHEETS--SHEET 1 Filed Sepl', 8, 1949 ATTORNEYS Nov 27 1951 Y A B WIL$QN2,576,203

PIPE WRENCH WITH LINKED GRIPPING MEANS 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Filed Sept 8,1949 w QM '65 x5 zz z INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 27, 1951,UNITED"STATES PATENT OFFICE: Q

P IPE WRENCH WITH LINKED GRIPPING MEANS Allen B. Wilson, Galena Park,Tex. Application September 8, 1949, Serial No. 114,486

This invention relates to rotary wrenches.

An object of this invention is to provide a powered wrench for clampingengagement about a pipe or other round object, whereby the articleengaged-with the wrench. may be rotated; and the: gripping force willgproportionately. crease with rotation of the article andwithetiihdrea'se in the torsional strain thereon.

Another object of this invention is to provide a powered wrench whichcan be easily clamped about the article between the ends of the latter,and can be used for turning the article in either direction.

A further object of this invention is to provide a rotary wrench inwhich the motor is mounted in the handle or if desired a flexible driveshaft may be connected to the wrench.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in thearrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in thedrawings and specification, and then more particularly pointed out inthe appended claim.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a plan view, partly broken away and in section, of a rotarywrench constructed according to an embodiment of this invention,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure1,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure2,

Figure l is a fragmentary sectional View taken on the line 4--4 ofFigure 1.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral l designates generally a handlewhich is of tubular construction and is provided at its rear end withone or more ears I I, having an opening i3 therethrough, by means ofwhich the handle may be anchored or secured to a stationary element.

The forward end of the handle it has rockably secured thereto an arcuatemember l2 which is mounted on a pivot l4. A bolt I5 is threaded throughan ear l6 carried by the handle ill and is adapted to bear against thearcuate member l2 on the rear side thereof so as to limit the rocking ofarcuate member |2 with respect to the handle H).

The arcuate member l2 has extending therefrom pivotally connected linkmembers l1 and I8, with the last member Ha adapted to be releasablyconnected to the adjacent end of the arcuate member l2 as will behereinafter described.

The links |8 have rotatably mounted therein friction rollers l9 and thearcuate member l2 has mounted in the inner concave side thereof 101mm.(CI. 81-57) 2 Y a friction rollers 23 which are adapted to engage theperiphery of a pipe or work piece 2|. Gears 22 are fixed to the shafts'23 on which the rollers H) are fixedly mounted, and gears 22 mesh withintermediate gears 2'4 mounted on shafts-25 carried by the links H.

A pair of latching hooks 26 are rockably mounted on pins 21 which arecarried by a U-shaped latch operating member 28. The latch operatingmember 28 is rockably mounted on an adjacent gear roller shaft 23 andthe latch operating member 28 includes a handle or U-shaped bar 29projecting outwardly therefrom. A pair of latch pins 3%] are secured toa pair of links 3| which are formed with elongated arcuate slots 32Within which the adjacent ends of shafts 23 and 25 are adapted toloosely engage. The inner end of the links 3| engage about pivot members33 carried by ears or straps 34 which are fixed relative to the handle||l so that when the arcuate member |2 rocks on the pivot member l4under frictional contact of the rollers 20 with the work piece 2|, links3| will be moved to the right, as viewed in Figure 1, so as to therebymore firmly tighten the chain about the Work piece 2 I, depending on thetorsional resistance of the work piece 2|.

The several rollers 20 are rotated by means of a motor or power member35 or through a flexible drive means (not shown) which is mounted in ahousing 36 carried by the rear of the handle H). A motor shaft 31extends from the motor 35 and has a worm 38 secured thereto or formedintegral therewith. The shaft 31 engages through bearings 39 and 40which are carried by the handle l0, and worm 38 meshes with a worm gear4| which is mounted on a transversely disposed shaft 42. The shaft 42also has fixed thereon a spur gear 43 which meshes with an intermediatespur gear 44 rotatably mounted on the pivot member l4 and intermediategear 44 meshes with the adjacent roller gear 22 which is carried by the:arcuate member I2.

In the use and operation of this device, the chain shaped head of thewrench is engaged about the pipe or work piece 2|, the latch operator 28being initially pulled outwardly so as to move the latch hooks 26forwardly by reason of the eccentrically mounted pins 21 carried by theoperator 28. When the operator 28 is moved inwardly to the positionshown in Figure l, the latch members or hooks 2B which are engaged withthe pins will draw the chain tightly about the work piece 2| so that thefriction rollers l9 will firmly engage the periphery of the pipe or workpiece 2 The motor may then be operated so that the "the Wrench is merelyturned over when a reverse movement is desired.

In the event the latch members 26 do not provide for'the'fii'rii Contactof the rollers 19 and 20 with the work-piece, the adjusting bolt l maybe loosened so that the arcuate member [2 may rock counterclockwise withrespect to the handle l0 and thereby cause the link 3! to move to theright and eifect a contraction of the circle formed by the links I! andI8 and the arcuate member I2.

The construction of housing links I! and [8 permits the chain to openonlyenough to slip the open section of the wrench over the workpiece.This will facilitate putting on and taking off the wrench.

I donot mean to confine myself to the exact details of constructionherein disclosed,- but claim all variations falling within the purviewof the appended claim.

What I claim is:

A' rotary wrench comprising a handle, a work encircling chain carried bysaid handle, said chain 4 including a relatively long arcuate linkpivotally secured to said handle and constituting one end of said chain,releasable latch means connectingthe other end of said chain with saidhandle, friction rollers carried by'said chain, a gear trainconnectingsaid rollers together, a pair of forwardly projecting armscarried by said handle, an arcuate link pivotally connected at one endthereof to eaharm, a keeper piri carried by the opposite end of eachlink and en'gageable by said latch means, torsional pull of said rollersin one direction effecting rocking of said handle relative to said-l-ong link in a directionrto effect contraction of said chain about thework, and adjustable means limiting the rocking of said handle relativeto'said long link. 7

- ALLEN B. WILSON.

REFERENCES CITED file of this patent: UNITED STATES PATENTS Thefollowing references are of record in the

